News of Interest for Moms June 15, 2009

News to know:

Morning sickness drug safe for babies

Pregnant women who suffer morning sickness are not risking harm to their babies if they take metoclopramide, according to a study involving nearly 82,000 births in Israel. Researchers found no difference in birth defects or other problems in newborns of women whether or not they took the drug, sold as Reglan and in generic form.

Currently, no drugs are approved in the U.S. for morning sickness. When simple strategies such as eating crackers and frequent, small meals don't help,doctors sometimes use medicines approved for other types of nausea that are thought to be safe in pregnancy.

Acupuncture soothes heartburn in pregnant women

Acupuncture helps relieve heartburn in pregnant women, according to a small study from Brazil.

Seventy-five percent of the women in the acupuncture group said they had at least a 50 percent improvement in eating, and 70 percent had the same improvement in sleeping.

There were no side effects of the treatment, and no differences between the infants born to the women in the acupuncture and control groups. Because of possible concerns that needling could trigger contractions, the researchers caution against using acupuncture points in the lower back or lower abdomen in pregnant women.


Rear-facing car seats protect toddlers better

Children under 4 years of age fare better in motor vehicle accidents when they are riding in rear-facing instead of forward-facing car seats, according to an online report in the British Medical Journal.

Infants are typically switched from a rear- to a forward-facing seat when they reach about 20 pounds, which occurs at roughly 8 months of age for an average boy, researchers reported. Recent crash test results suggest that rear- rather than forward-facing seats provide better protection of the lower neck and chest.

Pediatricians target bullying, dating violence

Doctors should take an active role in preventing bullying in schools and violence among dating teenagers, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics.

In an updated policy being published in the July issue of its journal, Pediatrics, the academy suggests doctors:

~tell parents to talk to their children about bullying
~teach children how to resolve conflicts and promote respectful relationships in dating